Smoked Salmon Orzo Salad

This elegant pasta salad with flecks of smoked salmon and marinated artichokes makes for a special spring lunch or a light dinner salad.

Smoked salmon is always a treat at our house and this salad is no exception. Mixed with this is marinated artichokes, briny salty capers, juice from a lemon and some fresh parsley. The strong flavor of the smoked salmon is balanced so nicely with the ingredients in this salad. While this dish screams spring it can easily be served anytime. It all depends on the ingredients.

Next month we head to Oregon, where we buy our fish whole right off the boats. Depending on the year and month, salmon will be the first fish we purchase when we get there. The fishermen take a lot of pride in fishing responsibly and you certainly can’t go wrong with that.

Adapted from the cookbook, "Learning to Cook with Marion Cunningham".

Ingredients:

4 ounces smoked salmon (flaked)
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/3 cup chopped parsley (coarsely chopped)
1/4 cup drained and rinsed capers
1 1/2 jar of 16 ounce marinated artichoke hearts (coarsely chopped)
1 cup orzo pasta uncooked
1/4 cup pasta cooking water ( take before pouring water out)
2 tablespoons Parmesan grated cheese

To prepare:

In a large bowl combine salmon, artichoke hearts, capers, lemon juice, parsley and olive oil. Set aside.

Cook pasta (orzo) in a large pot of boiling salted water. Remove 1/4 cup cooking water, and drain pasta well.

Transfer pasta to bowl with smoked salmon and mix well, adding reserved mixing water as needed to keep pasta moist. Sprinkle with cheese and serve at room temperature.